Cauterize It
by Deadly Sinsations
Summary: Someone had to teach the twins, right?//Story #3.//Connor, Murphy, & Adrienne.//Pre-Boondock Saints.


"Happy Saint Patrick's day," Adrienne muttered to the television as she settled down on her couch to enjoy another rousing round of Golden Girls re-runs. Britney had a date that night (one Adrienne hoped she would come home from sober) and the Twins were out at McGinty's, drinking it up. "That's what sucks about being _twenty_. Can't go and do shit with people."

This wasn't the first time she had been stuck at home, either. Britney had turned twenty-one the previous year and so she went out often with her friends of legal age (she went out often _before_ she was legal as well). Connor and Murphy had three years on her so they usually enjoyed a few drinks at McGinty's, which is where they were currently if Adri knew them as well as she thought they did. It was St. Patrick's Day, after all, and the boys enjoyed a few drinks every now and then. When those few drinks included some light-hearted fun with friends, they tended to stay out a little too late and have a few too many. No matter how much they had, though, Adrienne had realized that they were rarely affected by their liquor in-take.

Sure, their speech was slurred and sometimes they were not utterly graceful when they walked, but they still could function properly. Enough to flirt with and tease her more than ever. Things had changed. It was not necessarily a bad change, but they had still changed. Ever since the boy's confession, they had treated her _differently_. They had not withdrawn from her, but they had become more aware of what they were saying and doing. It was unnerving at times, to see them try to act _proper_ around her.

They had even stopped cursing in front of her! Cursing was second nature to the boys and to not hear them curse was weird. This change in attitude had been grating on her nerves for some time now. She wanted to confront them about it but she worried what would happen if she did. If they were acting this way because of their confession, what would they do if they found out she didn't like how they acted?

All thoughts of reaction and possible outcomes were interrupted due to a loud banging on her door, and she jerked to look at the offensive noise. "What the fuck." Standing, she moved over and looked through the peephole, muttering something along the lines of whoever it was better have a good reason for interrupting her.

They did. Standing outside the door was Connor and Murphy, both brothers looking battered and bruised, but Murphy seemed worse for the wear. There was blood, and both were covered in it. Before they could bang on the door again, Adrienne had unlocked it and yanked it open, staring at them both.  
"What the hell happened?!"

"We got inta a fuckin' bar fight," Murphy ground out, being aided by his brother as he limped into the apartment. Their first destination was the kitchen, where Connor sat his brother down on the chair and then settled down on his knees to look Murphy's wounded leg over.

"Asshole's pulled a knife on us. Murph's been cut pretty bad."

Slamming the door shut and locking it, Adrienne stalked forward, looking between the two. "And you expect _me_ to tend to your dumb asses since you're wounded?"

"Yes we fuckin' do!"

"Well you're fucking _insane_!"

"Why the fuck are _we_ insane?"

"I am not helping you two assholes out!"

"Why the fuck _not_!"

"Because you've been acting like a couple of _dickheads_ lately!"

"We 'ave fuckin' not!"

"We've been perfect fuckin' gentlemen!"

"Oh please! Give me a fucking break!"

"Look who's actin' like a fuckin' dickhead now."

"Fuck _you_!"

"Stop bein' a fuckin' bitch and help!"

"I'm not going to help your dumb asses!"

"Gonna let me fuckin' _bleed _to death?!"

"Bleed to death for all I fucking _care_!"

"Actin' like a fuckin' _cunt_ now!"

Sometimes arguments go too far, especially when both parties are heated in their debate. Connor had pushed the boundaries and before he could even reel back and apologize, Adrienne's palm connected soundly with his face. Considering he'd just been in a bit of a scrap that was particularly violent, he didn't think the hit would do anything to him. He was wrong. The hit was a shock to his system and the stinging sensation lingered, but before she could come back to do something else, he had snatched her wrist and yanked it behind her body, tugging her close to him as his other arm wrapped around to pin her free hand down.

"Calm down," Connor ordered, holding the squirming body of the redhead as tight as possible. Murphy watched the two, his hand clamped down firmly on his left thigh. After a few moments of struggle, Adrienne's body went limp and she seemed to be crying, so Connor gently released her and wrapped both arms around her to hold her close. "I'm sorry, for callin' ya that, darlin'. Ya just…things aren' the same anymore and ye've never picked a fight with us before. It got out of control."

"Aye, it did." Murphy watched as his brother released Adrienne and stepped back toward him. The mixed emotions in the room were unsettling and so he changed the subject as quick as he could. "Can we fix my leg?"

"Why don't you go to a hospital?"

"No fuckin' way! I _HATE_ hospitals, hate needles, and we can' afford it."

The fact that Murphy said he hated needles seemed to be a slight contradiction, especially since he had quite a few intricate tattoos. The look she gave him said all she was thinking and he shrugged, thinking his answer would explain everything.

"We do 'em ourselves." Which meant no one else was trusted to touch him but his brother.

"We've been in fights before. Scrapes and bruises we can handle. Cuts? Never 'ad 'em until now." Connor moved forward then, cupping Adrienne's face between the palms of his hands. "Please, darlin'. We've never asked much of ya." His voice was soft, a gentle whisper that calmed her nerves.

Resigning to the fact that she would have to help them (she loved them too much to let them suffer), Adrienne went to turn on a burner of her oven and then motioned for Connor to come over to her. "We're going to have to cauterize it."

"What the fuck?" Murphy squeaked out, looking at his Twin and their woman. "Ya aren't cauterizin' my fuckin' leg!"

"Yes I fucking am if you aren't going to a hospital, Murphy MacManus!" Pulling a butter knife out of a drawer, she placed it directly atop the heat, then handed Connor a dish towel. "Get him on the table and get behind him. You're going to have to gag his mouth while I cauterize it. And hold him still." Moving over to the medicine cabinet, Adrienne began to dig out the needed items—rubbing alcohol, antibacterial ointment, gauze, and bandages.

Moving back to where Murphy was at the table, she placed everything on top of it and motioned for Murphy to get up on it. Albeit unwillingly, he moved onto the table and eyed Adrienne, then looked at his twin.

"She won't do nothin' to hurt ya on purpose," Connor assured him and looked back at Adri. "Right?"

"Yeah, I promise, I won't do anything to hurt you on _purpose_. It's going to _hurt _though, Murphy, but it'll stop the bleeding." Picking up the rubbing alcohol and a rag, she handed both to Connor. "Clean the wound for me." While he was busy cleaning the wound, she went back to the stove and picked up an oven mitt. "Gag him, Connor. Murphy, hold still."

Without wasting a second, she was beside both twins and pressing the hot part of the blade down on the gash on Murphy's leg. The man twitched, muscles tensed, and she watched as his brother whispered something to keep him calm. As soon as it had started, though, it was over, and Adrienne tossed the knife into the sink and poured some alcohol over the freshly burnt wound. Looking between the two, she opened her mouth to apologize, but Murphy stopped her.

"Don' say a word. Ya did what ya had to do. Thank ya, darlin'." Moving off of the table, he eyed his bloody clothes and then his twin. "Mind goin' and gettin' me some clean clothes, Conn? And do ya mind if I shower, darlin'?" Connor nodded and headed out and Adri agreed as well, motioning him down the hall.

"Just put your clothes in the floor. I'll trash the pants. And if you wanna lay down when you're done on my bed, feel free to. I'll bandage your leg before you leave."

With both twins gone, Adrienne went to work on cleaning up the mess. While she cleaned, she worked through the emotions she had felt within that short amount of time. Why had she been fighting her feelings? Was she afraid? The boys didn't seem afraid of it. All they seemed afraid of was offending her. It's not like she had a bleeding heart she needed to cauterize. Her last serious relationship had ended without a problem. No bridges to burn, no regrets. Connor was right. She had been acting like a cunt lately.

The sound of the shower turning off alerted her to the fact that Murphy was done. With the last little bit of blood cleaned up, Adrienne tossed the towels and waited a few moments, then headed into her bedroom. Settled on the right side of her bed was Murphy, right arm bent and rested beneath his head and dressed only in his boxers. Moving over to scoot onto the bed with him, Adrienne relaxed on her left side, draping one arm across his stomach. Silence filled the room. The only movement was of Murphy's hand, quietly caressing her arm. She closed her eyes, fighting back tears as the front door opened and Connor entered the room shortly after, eyeing the two.

Kicking off his boots, he moved onto the bed behind Adrienne, pressing a kiss against her shirt-covered shoulder blade. Within less than two hours, things had changed. Taking in a deep breath, first one chaste kiss was pressed to Murphy's mouth and a second chaste kiss was pressed to Connor's. "I love both of you so much," she whispered then, quite aware that both had grins of satisfaction on their faces now. "I just have one question."

"What?"

"What is it, darlin'?"

Both twins sat upright and Adrienne propped herself up on her elbows, looking between them. "Are you _sure_ I'm your perfect woman?"

--

_A/N: Story #3, installment #4. Comments and critique welcomed._


End file.
